RWBY: Amantes Amentes
by Shidou Haruka
Summary: "Well then, everyone, listen to my opera. The plot is a conventional one, but the actors are good. The best, I believe." Thus spoke Suigin as he began his masterpiece. The world of Remnant will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Gran Guinol Began**

Being at the top is lonely and boring. Nobody knew of this fact more than Suigin, the Hadou God of Eternal Recurrence. For a very long time since he usurped the Throne from his predecessor, the Hadou God Myoujou, he had been watching over the universe, no, multiverse, playing with possibility, orchestrating events, trying to sate his infinite thirst for the unknown.

Sadly, when you're a nigh-omnipotent and omniscient God, finding something new that could stir you down to your very soul is downright impossible. Not when you have witnessed everything and created countless epic whether it was directly or indirectly.

Countless eons of observing and creating both heroes and demons or even minor drama got old when you are timeless and without equal. He had seen all possibilities, explore all tiniest changes in timelines, create and destroy worlds, and he is tired.

Unfortunately, as the supreme God that rules over the multiverse itself, dying is not exactly a course he could take lightly. Where's the fun in that? No matter how bored he is and how much he wanted things to end, just offing himself is too pedestrian and if there is anything he prides himself in then it is his ability to craft stories.

The world is his playground, and even if it is a boring playground as it is now, there might be a chance, a one in infinite chance it may be, that something would catch his attention.

Something does.

From time to time, when Suigin needs a more hands-on approach in his interference, he would create a Sensory to walk the mortal world, or worlds. A Sensory is like a representative or incarnation of a God in the mortal world. And currently, Allesandro di Cagliostro, Suigin's latest Sensory in a world known as Remnant found something interesting.

Remnant is a quaint little world which is different from earth and some others. For one thing, it is one of those worlds where magic exists, or existed in this case. This world came to be from a rather rare (relatively speaking) possibility where instead of a full pantheon or a single God ruling, two Gods came to be; the Brother Gods of Light and Darkness. Of course, Suigin is higher in the hierarchy being a multiversal God instead of one ruling a single world, but that's not important.

To make long story short, the present Remnant is a mere leftover of a once golden age of magic. That age ended when the people rebelled against the Gods and was killed for it, leaving only two people still alive from that era, and it is only because they are immortal… for a definition of immortal.

One is the witch that instigated the rebellion against the Gods in the first place and the other is, ironically, her husband who is cursed by the Gods to continuously reincarnate until he could stop his former wife from ending all life. That's the gist of it… ohh and the wife is in control of murderous beasts known as Grimm.

Of course, this is only the abridged version of the history and the detail is not really important. After all, such minor thing as history of a world cannot be compared to what Allesandro di Cagliostro just found.

"I have fallen in love with you. I want to kneel before you, Margueritte."

Among decapitated remains of Grimm and people, Cagliostro kneeled while holding the hand of a young girl in white dress. She has long curly blonde hair and she look at Cagliostro with tilted head. To onlookers, this is a strange and morbid sight. An adult man kneeling in front of a young girl while holding her hand, surrounded by decapitated corpses. What they didn't know is that this is a moment that would shape the very fate of the multiverse itself.

Sadly, that meeting ended up in tragedy. For the girl is cursed. The young girl was born under the blessing of the guillotine.

Margueritte Breuil was born fifty years before the Great War in Mistral. On the day of her birth, a man was set to be publicly executed via the guillotine, however, the headsman did not arrive. While the crowd wished for the man to be executed, no one actually wanted to commit the deed themselves. At the urging of Margueritte's mother, who was beginning to go into labor, the father eventually took up the task. At the moment he killed the man, Margueritte was born.

For the first ten year of her life, Margueritte was completely mute. Then, without seemingly any cause or warning, she began to relentlessly sing of filling the guillotines with blood. It was at this same time that her curse manifested, decapitating anyone who touched her. Her father abandoned her while her mother went insane. She was eventually deemed a witch and executed via the same guillotine she had been born under 17 years prior.

Cagliostro witnessed this personally. But what should have been the end of that story is actually just the beginning. At the moment of her decapitation, what everyone see is the death of an unnatural cursed being. But Cagliostro saw something else which reaffirmed why he was attracted to Margueritte in the first place.

What he saw was ascension.

Margueritte is a pure soul. Her soul is so pure and powerful that even comparing to the God of Light would make the God of Light be found wanting. And for the first time in eternity, Suigin found an equal as upon her death, Marie's soul did not enter the cycle of reincarnation. She ascended into an infant Goddess.

For the first time in a very long time, Allesandro di Cagliostro, the Hadou God Suigin, is genuinely smiling. It is not the usual snake-like smile of a schemer he tended to use but a genuine happy smile. Because here, at this moment, Suigin had found something he had never experienced before. Love. But the love of a God is not the same as the love of a human.

"It has been decided then. I wish to die on your lap."

Suigin thus declare. And at that moment, the fate of that particular world of Remnant was sealed. Suigin, the Mercurial Snake, smiled. Finally he had found something he want to do. Something he will put all his effort into creating. His last story, his Gran Guinol.

"Well then, everyone, listen to my opera. The plot is a conventional one, but the actors are good. The best, I believe."

* * *

-2 years before Beacon entrance-

Jaune Arc has a simple dream. To be a hero like his ancestor. His idea to do that is simple; become a huntsman and protect the people from Grimm. But that's not all there is to it of course. His other reason for wanting to be a huntsman is simple. He wanted to be close to his sister, Beatrice Arc.

Out of all his sisters, Jaune admired Beatrice the most, followed closely behind by Saphron. Beatrice was the nicest to him and doesn't tease him or embarrass him as much as his other sisters. She is also the only sister he has who became a huntress. She was strong and kind and beautiful, the kind of person he look up to, possibly even more than he look up to his own father.

She is also the only sister he has who is very much dead and buried.

It was during her defense of a frontier town about to be overrun by a large horde of Grimm, powerful Grimm at that. Reinforcement didn't manage to come in time and she and her team had to hold back the horde while evacuation is under way.

Eventually, when they realized that help won't come on time, the team made their last stand while protecting what civilian they could. The last two to stand are Beatrice and her partner, Kai. The survivors said that the two fought beyond their very limit and actually manage to decimate the horde, saving the remaining townspeople while dying in the process. When help did arrive, Beatrice and Kai had died in each other's arm.

It was a tale that inspired Jaune. He had heard tales of his ancestors being heroes who fought in the Great War but hearing his own sister becoming a hero is even more awe-inspiring. True it's sad that she died and of course he mourned with his family but he wanted to remember her in much more meaningful way. And that's why he wanted to follow in her footsteps.

Unfortunately, losing one of their daughter made his parents afraid that he will also ended up dead if he became a huntsman so they refused to enroll him into a combat school or even train him themselves.

Jaune understand their feeling, he truly does. He's fifteen, not stupid. He sometimes has nightmares where another one of his sisters or his parents coming home in a casket. It's a nightmare his whole family probably share after Beatrice's funeral. But he still wanted to be a huntsman anyway.

Still, it's easier said than done. He has no idea on where to start apart from keeping his body fit. He doesn't know what to train or even how to train. And so he found himself just hitting a tree with a stick most of the time. Then he got the asinine idea to actually look for a Grimm to fight.

It's a bad idea and deep inside, he knew it is a bad idea, but he is desperate and he had read books and comics where ordinary people were put in a dangerous situation manage to make do and become a hero so he figured that if he got into a real danger, his self-preservation instinct might help him get somewhere.

That's how he found himself in this situation.

"Aaaaahhhhh!"

Jaune's high pitched scream echoed throughout the forest as he ran away from a giant Deathstalker Grimm. About half an hour after he went into the forest, he was unlucky enough to find himself face to face with a Deathstalker Grimm. Basically a giant Grimm scorpion.

"If I survive this I swear to Oum I will never ever deliberately look for trouble again!"

Jaune Arc swore. At least he had wizened up. Now, if only he knew how to get out of this alive. The only thing he can do now is to run. The Deathstalker is just getting closer to him though and Soon it will reach him and kill him. He's not really keen on becoming Grimm food though so the Arc just kept running.

As he ran, he finally reached a clearing. In that clearing, there is a stone table and stabbed in the stone table is a weapon. The moment Jaune laid his eyes on the weapon though, something about it resonate with him. The weapon is a lance, a golden lance with large head. Feeling something from it, he quickly went to the stone table and grabbed the lance.

Guided by only his feeling, Jaune raised the lance and suddenly he felt his body be filled with power. The Deathstalker's movement now seems so much slower. Remembering the TV shows he watched where there are characters throwing javelins, he copied the movement and threw the lance. He didn't know why he did it. He certainly knew he had never thrown a javelin before but for some reason, he knew that no matter how he threw it, the lance will strike true.

Just like he thought, the lance suddenly accelerated despite his clumsy throw and it pierced the Deathstalker through its head. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw the impossibility. Just as he is questioning what just happened, he heard the sound of a person clapping from behind him.

"Remarkable. I never thought that I would see someon actually pull Longinus Lanze Testament from this stone."

Jaune turn around to see a handsome man with long dark hair tied halfway down dressed in black coat clapping. How did he get there?!

"Whaa?"

"I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Karl Ernst Kraft, and you, Jaune Arc, is the chosen one.

Karl introduced himself with a bow and a smirk. At that point in time, Jaune Arc didn't know it yet, but his fate had changed drastically with this meeting, a meeting that even the Gods would fear, because Suigin had arrived.

In another part of Remnant, in a small island of patch, a young girl is sleeping peacefully. Or at least she should be. Young Ruby Rose had just gotten back from visiting her mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. It was never a peaceful night for Ruby in that particular day. But today, it is different.

When Ruby opened her eyes, she finds herself not in her room or any place familiar. Instead, she found herself staring at a twilight sky on a sandy beach. She remembered going to sleep in her room so why is she here? Is this a dream? She's not sure as she thinks this is a dream but it doesn't feel like a dream.

"Dad? Yang?"

Ruby called out to her family, looking around as she does so. After a while, she's starting to feel worried… that is until she heard a song.

_"Blood, blood blood, it wants blood. Offer the blood to the guillotine. Blood to quench the guillotine's thirst."_

Ruby followed the direction of the voice. She ran and ran and ran until…

* * *

**Right, this is too soon but I have a more solid idea for RWBY/Dies Irae crossover this time. Consider the old one a pilot chapter or a prototype. This time, the story takes place before the world of Anima Entelecheia. This took place in the world of Omega Ewigkeit, Suigin's world. That means Tasogare is not yet Goddess. I am taking a bit more liberty here and adapts Dies Irae to RWBY and also changing some things to make it fresh. Currently, I have several stories featuring Dies Irae and Lord Heydrich is definitely the primary antagonist. So this time I would like to take a different path and have Suigin really take the role as final boss with Lord Heydrich's position be taken by RWBY's Jauney Boy. Or we should refer to him as Lord Arc now. Unlike Lord Heydrich, Jaune will start out weak so this won't be a rehearsal of Dies Irae, at least not fully. And I think it is obvious who will be wielding Margueritte Bois du Justice in here. Also, before someone bring it up, I won't be nerfing Dies Irae's power level. Remember that Ewigkeit won't work fully in a one-sided slaughter. The Swastika can only be opened with real battle. And since Suigin is the final boss, be assured that even if things started off nerfed, I will not hold back for the finale. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: An Interesting Night**

-Vale, Evening-

A young man of seventeen years with medium length blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a white military dress coat with a sword with a triangular knuckle bow strapped to his hip is walking down the streets of Vale. Flanking him are two people. One is a boy around three to four years younger than the young man. He wore casual clothing that consists of a striped shirt and cargo pants with a blue jacket. The boy also has blonde hair the same shade as the young mand but much longer and tied near the tip.

"So this is Vale. It is very different from Atlas. It is at least a sight better than Mantle."

The younger blonde said as he look around in amazement like a country kid visiting a city for the first time. Although, this is not really the first time he is visiting a city, this is his first time in Vale and to him who had only known Atlas all his life, it is a new and interesting sight.

"Wait till you see Mistral. But I suppose I can agree. Vale is a better sight than Mantle."

The older blonde replied with a small smile. The third member of their group though did not offer her opinion. The third member of the group is a young girl around seventeen years old just like the older blonde and like him, she is also armed with a sword strapped to her hip with her sword being longer than the blonde's and possessing no crossguard.

"What do you think, Kei? This is your first time in Vale, right?"

The older blonde addressed his female companion. Kei at least turn her head to face him. She didn't immediately answer though and looks to be in a bad mood. The older blonde then whispered to the younger one.

"Hey Isaac, what's with Kei? She's been silent in the duration of our trip."

The younger blonde who is now named Isaac looked back to Kei who has been quiet all this time and is definitely displeased. He then replied to the older blonde in a whisper.

"I don't know Jaune. But I did saw her with Anna before we left so…"

The older blonde, Jaune, knew what Isaac meant and sighed. That would certainly do it. Kei and Anna got along like oil and water and any meeting between them will definitely end with Kei being in a bad mood.

"That would certainly do it."

Jaune sighs. He can't do anything about it though so all he can do is wait until Kei's mood gets better. Sometimes he hoped that those two can get along. At least they don't try to kill each other… yet.

It has been two years since he, Jaune Arc, found the Longinus Lanze Testament, the weapon that changed his fate, as well as meeting Karl Kraft. Since then, Jaune had learned a lot of things and met a lot of people too. Some meeting a bit more surprising than the other, like with the girl currently with him.

Kei, whose full name is Kei Sakurai, was the younger sister of Kai Sakurai, the partner of his deceased sister, Beatrice Arc. He met her when he and Karl was visiting Mistral three months following their meeting. Just like he looked up to Beatrice, Kei looked up to Kai and they became friends easily and trained together. Now, Kei is without a doubt his closest friend. There is of course his meeting with his other comrades and each of them is a memory he held precious in his heart.

"Hmm? What's that?"

Isaac suddenly stop to point at something across the street. Jaune followed the direction the younger blonde is pointing and saw a museum announcing a limited time exhibition.

"It's a museum. And they're apparently having a Mistral-themed exhibition from before the Great War."

Isaac look intrigued after Jaune explained. He looked up to the older blonde expectantly. Jaune normally would agree and bring Isaac to the exhibition but he looked back at Kei and then at his watch and he shook his head.

"Sorry Isaac but we have to drop by Riza's place first. Tell you what, why don't you take Riza there tomorrow?"

Jaune told him. He hates to disappoint Isaac but they do have priorities to keep. Isaac looked down dejectedly before exhaling. Jaune is glad that Isaac is mature for his age and reasoning with him is quite easy.

"It won't be the same but I guess so."

The younger blonde replied. Jaune smiled happily as they continue their trek to their friend's house with Kei silently following, grumbling along the way. Just as they pass by though, a young girl walked past the museum. The girl wore a black gothic dress with a hooded red cape and she has short reddish black hair. Her silver eyes looked up to the museum's banner.

The girl's name is Ruby Rose. She had come to Vale from the small island of Patch, the island where Signal Academy is located, to run some errands with her sister. Her sister currently has some other things to do so Ruby found herself walking through the streets of Vale with a lot of free time on her hand.

"Mistral huh?"

The young girl paid for an entrance ticket to the museum. She has no actual interest in history though but she figured that it is a good way to kill some time before meeting up with her sister. It actually turned out to be quite interesting as she saw several old weapons among the display.

"Ahh, sometimes you just got to appreciate the classics."

Ruby sighed as she browsed through several old weapons like some swords, spears, shields, and older generation rifles. She was about to walk to another section when she abruptly stopped.

_"Blood, blood, blood."_

The girl suddenly shivered. She turned to her left to see a corridor. Then her whole body followed as she is now facing the direction of the corridor. Silently, the girl walked into the corridor and followed its path.

"T-that was a dream, right?"

Ruby questioned herself as she walked.

Two years ago, on the day she returned home after visiting her mother's grave during the anniversary of her death, Ruby Rose had a dream. She could still vaguely remember it even now. The sight of a beach during twilight. Her standing there alone… and an ominous song that she can't get out of her head.

Then Ruby stopped when she reached a room deep inside the museum. The room itself is empty with no other visitor around, most of them focusing on the exhibition in the main hall. There is though a certain museum exhibit here. Standing in the center of a room is an ancient execution device, a guillotine to be precise, with rusted blade that earned Ruby's attention.

A guillotine.

_"Blood to quench the guillotine's thirst."_

Why? Why is there a guillotine here? Why must it be a guillotine? Why did she even come here?! As she stared at the guillotine, Ruby's breathing became harder. Slowly though, she took a step back. One step, and then two steps. At the third step, she chuckled and turn around.

"Hehe. There's nothing in here! Just a guillotine! A very… scary… guillotine."

Ruby glanced back at the guillotine, finally calming down. She then slowly walked away, back to where the main event is. As she left though, she failed to notice the faint golden glow the guillotine let out as well as darkness pouring into her. Watching Ruby leaving is a girl, a young girl with long wavy blonde hair in tattered white dress.

"Blood… for the guillotine."

* * *

-Night-

Ruby shouldn't have gone to the museum. All she could think about ever since she left was the guillotine. Something about it draws her in. She didn't know why but… there is something about that guillotine that bothered her.

_"Blood, blood blood, it wants blood. Offer the blood to the guillotine. Blood to quench the guillotine's thirst."_

Perhaps it is because of that eerie song she can still hear in her mind. It was just a dream, but the song simply won't go away. That on top of her sister still away doing whatever it is she does, probably visiting a nightclub or something, doesn't help her psyche much.

Deciding that staying in bed won't help her, Ruby got up and went out. She needs to keep her head clear. Looking at some weapon magazines. Maybe there is something she could use to help improve her baby. With a more positive thought in mind, Ruby walk to one of the Dust shops she knew around the block.

Dust Till Dawn, one of the few Dust shop open all day and all night. It has a catchy name and the elderly shopkeeper is a familiar face. He's also nice as when Ruby entered and he saw her, she merely pointed towards the magazine rack and he understood. He nodded and with a smile, Ruby went to read some magazines. Come to think of it, she also needed to resupply some Dust rounds. She'll get to it later.

Ruby put on her headphone and began listening to music, tuning out the world and all her other troubles as she browsed through the latest weapon and dust magazines on the rack. Unknown to her though, today will not end as well as she wanted to hope.

After around an hour since Ruby's arrival, a man with red hair wearing a white coat and bowler hat entered the shop followed by several men in black and shades armed with guns. Ruby did not notice them entering as she is still focusing on a particularly interesting weapon magazine that caught her attention on top of having her headphone on.

The henchmen look around and at the Dust crystals in the display when the red haired man with bowler hat approaches the elderly shopkeeper. His name is Roman Torchwick, a well-known thief in Vale. He is smoking a cigar with his cane in hand and pointed to the ground.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?"

Roman said. One of the henchman points his gun at the shopkeeper who raises his hand in fear. The old shopkeeper recognize Roman's face from the news and knew he's an infamous criminal.

"P-please! Just take my Lien and leave!"

The old shopkeeper pleaded. Roman merely shushed him.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money. Grab the Dust."

The criminal ordered. A henchman opens a case and removes one of several cylinders, which the group uses to take Dust from the tube containers on the walls. Another henchman placed an open case on the display to the shopkeeper and ordered him on gunpoint.

"Crystals. Burn. Uncut."

The shopkeeper proceeds to fill the case as ordered, fearing for his life. As another henchman goes for another tube, he hears a muted song from the direction of the magazine rack and unsheathes his sword. There he saw Ruby still oblivious to her surrounding. He pointed his sword to her back and ordered.

"Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em."

No response and no action. Ruby didn't hear him so he shouted a bit more loudly.

"Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something!?"

Seeing no action, he goes over to her and turns her around. He motions for her to lower her headphone. Not really understanding what's happening but figuring that the man is trying to talk to her, Ruby lowered her headphone.

"Yes?"

The silver eyed girl replied. Seeing that he now has her attention, the henchman repeated his previous order to the young girl.

"I said, put your hands in the air, now!"

Ruby looked at him for a moment. It took her a moment to register what he said and another moment to realize what is happening here.

"Are you... robbing me?"

Ruby asked a bit unsurely.

"Yes!"

The henchman snapped at her.

"Ooohhh…"

* * *

Jaune needed to resupply Thrud Walkure with lightning dust.

The move, especially putting Isaac's things in Riza's house, took a while and when he finally had time to do maintenance on his weapon and found out that he's low on dust supply, night had already come. And he'll be attending Beacon with Kei starting tomorrow.

He doesn't actually need dust though. While Thrud Walkure, his sister Beatrice's sword, use lightning dust, he can forego the use of dust entirely and channel it with magic instead. But that would reveal his ability to use magic and since Beacon is the territory of The Wizard, using magic is a no-go. At least not at this point of time.

He has things to do at Beacon. Some clear, and some unclear. The unclear thing is of course Karl's instruction but just like with many things Karl said, he'll figure it out eventually. Though sometimes he wishes that Karl could be direct but the intellectual challenge is fun.

So with magic not being an option at the moment, he needed to buy dust supply for Thrud Walkure. Last he resupplied it was months ago, the last time when using magic was not an option. Of course, with magic not being an option, Longinus Lanze Testament was also not an option.

Besides, that weapon is an overkill and if their enemy were to find out where the Longinus Lanze is, they will stop at nothing to destroy him, and he's not yet ready to commit to an open war, not when his group still have seats yet to be filled and the other promised chosen has yet to be found.

Make no mistake. He doesn't fear open war and he is confident that he will prevail against the other Relic users. But it is what comes after that will be hard to deal with if he doesn't have his full group with him and find the other chosen. The Golden Transmutation Karl devised can only work with nine people doing the ritual, including him. And currently, they only have seven with them.

And so that's how his feet led him to the shop Dust Till Dawn which according to Riza is the closest dust shop still open at night. He could put it off but Kei is also in a similar situation as him so it's better to get this out of the way before they enter Beacon.

Just as he got close to the shop though, he heard commotion happening with his sharper senses and have his hand rested on Thrud Walkure just in case. True to his instinct, two people crashed through the window with one of them being a gangster and the other being a petite girl in gothic clothing with hooded red cape. But there is something else that caught his attention.

Jaune's eyes met with the girl's… and he felt it.

"Okayyy... Get her!"

The moment didn't last forever though as the criminal inside the shop ordered his henchmen to attack the girl. The girl unfurled a device from behind her which turns out to be a mechashifting scythe. The henchmen head out of the shop and run at the girl to engage her in close combat. It was a mistake.

The girl spins around on top of her scythe and kicks the first approaching criminal in the face. She gets her weapon out of the ground and fires it off to hit another one with the butt of her weapon, sending him flying. She fires again and brings the side down on one attacker and dodges the next's gunfire with her rifle's speed, getting close enough to knock him into the air and follow him upwards so she can beat him away to their boss' feet.

"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were."

The criminal in white wearing a bowler hat said to the girl. Jaune immediately recognize him as Roman Torchwick, a crime boss based in Vale. Dropping his cigar and crushing it with his cane as approaching police sirens are heard.

"Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around… I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

Roman raise his cane and opens the bottom to reveal a rifle with a cross grid. The criminal unleashes a red blast at the girl. That was when Jaune decided to interfere, finding interest with the girl whose presence faintly reeks of magic, a familiar magic.

"This is as far as you go, Roman Torchwick."

Jaune declared as he cut the red blast with an electrified Thrud Walkure while standing in front of the girl. The girl's eyes widened as he pointed his sister's, now his sword at the criminal. Roman fired another blast, this time aimed at the ground in front of Jaune, that made an explosion that blows dirt everywhere, creating a makeshift smokescreen. Jaune then turned to the girl.

"Are you alright?"

He asked. The girl nodded.

"Thanks. Wait, what about that criminal guy?"

The girl asked. They turn around to see him gone but immediately spotted him climbing the ladder of a nearby building. The girl then turned behind and addressed someone coming out of the shop who Jaune takes to be the shopkeeper.

"You okay if I go after him?"

The shopkeeper gives a short "Uh huh", and the girl sets off with Jaune following behind. Looks like introduction will come later after they catch the criminal. Roman made it to the roof, with Ruby high-flying again and landing right behind him. Jaune followed with a single leap.

"Hey!"

The girl called out to Roman who clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Persistent…"

The girl readies to fight him, but a getaway Bullhead rises up and opens the hatch to allow Roman inside.

"End of the line, Red."

Roman turn around and holding up a red Dust gem. He throws it out at her feet and fires at her, resulting in a large explosion.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho!"

Roman laughed. But he immediately stops when he saw something. A woman in a purple cape is now in front of the girl and Jaune, casting a circle of protection over them with her wand. As the two teens looks on, the woman in purple cape waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple at the craft. Roman is thrown around in the back until he goes to the cockpit, where a woman in red, her face unseen, is struggling with the controls.

"We got a Huntress!"

The woman gets up and heads toward the back as Roman takes the controls. The huntress glows purple for a moment and aims another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet. Jaune is impressed.

What the woman is doing looks like magic but is in fact just a Semblance. He sheathed his sword and watch on with the red caped gothic girl. This should be interesting. After all, he recognized who had just arrived on the huntress is Glynda Goodwitch, the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon and the current right hand of The Wizard.

"The hell...?"

With a flick of her wand, large jagged hail starts falling that pummels the jet and even breaks through the window, narrowly missing Roman's head. That was when the woman in red appeared. The woman reaches the back and her arms and chest light up like fire, aiming a burst of energy at Glynda.

The Huntress blocks it, but the flame splatters behind her and glows hot with the enemy's raised hand. Glynda back-flips out of the explosion, which destroys part of the roof, and magically gathers the shards to create a large arrow, which she throws at the craft.

The fiery woman shatters the arrow with several blasts, but it reforms just in time to hit the side of the jet due to Roman's quick aerial lean. The wreckage separates and reshapes into more arrows that encircle the jet, but the woman summons several glowing rings around herself that expand and destroy the shards.

As the exchange continue, Jaune narrowed his eyes. Eventually, he grinned. He had felt something familiar. The woman in red didn't make it look obvious but she has it. She has magic. And judging from the potency as well as the distinct feel, she is a Maiden.

'That makes it three out of four.'

Jaune thought. He internally grinned as this just makes things easier for him. While in the grand scheme of things the Maidens are of little importance, one of their own do have some interest in the Seasonal Maiden. Their witch would be happy that a simple errand ended fruitfully with the identification of another Maiden. Staying his sword and playing the part of a young huntsman-in-training proves to be the right decision.

Normally, he would've cut down Roman and the Maiden by now. But the gothic girl's intriguing presence stayed his hand with Roman and with a Maiden here, things are bound to get interesting. That is why he will let them go… for now.

As the girl beside him finally acting, reverting her scythe into its rifle form to fire at the woman in an attempt to provide support, the Maiden blocks each shot and creates several blazing circles around her two opponents. Glynda telekinetically pushes him and the hooded girl aside with her Semblance and rolls herself out of the explosion's radius; looking up to see the Bullhead hatch close and the craft fly away.

"Ahh Karl, I see what you meant. This is the first Act, isn't it?"

* * *

**So this is a bit of the first half of RWBY first episode of vol 1. Not exactly the best but this chapter is to set up things for the future. I know there's a lack of action on Jaune's part but as stated, this Jaune has a plan and a bigger picture to think of. For Dies Irae fans who must already knew whose position he is replacing, they would know the actual scale of this plan. Though I do make a lot of modification to suit the setting and characters. The LDO for instance. Lord Heydrich's Obsidian Round Table consists of bloodthirsty criminals and soldiers who bathe in blood on a daily basis. Jaune of course is different so his LDO works a bit differently and the members have... well, not quite upstanding morals but they are more in the gray area leaning more to neutral or good. **

**Also, Jaune's primary weapon is currently a modified Thrud Walkure that can work with either Dust or magic. I'm sorry that he's not using Longinus Lanze immediately but until the time is right, as in entering Act 2, Jaune will be primarily using Thrud Walkure. It is all according to Suigin's script of course so don't worry. Act 1 mainly focus on the struggles of the lowly mortals. Longinus Lanze is only fit to be used on a struggle of a much grander level where holding back is no longer necessary. **

**I think that's all I want to say... and I probably forgot some other things I should be saying but meh, it'll probably come up later. **

**Lucasmarduk: Of course they won't be similar to Fujii Ren or Lord Heydrich and their relation is different from those two.**

**Hakuryukou79: Well, not yet. Act 1 will be a bit more humane and conform a bit more to RWBY power level as this is just the opening act of Suigin's opera but when Act 2 started, which will be the end of RWBY vol 3 and entering vol 4, secrecy and holding back will be thrown out the window and we'll go full Dies Irae power level. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Fated Meeting**

Karl Ernst Kraft stood before the guillotine inside Vale's museum, now glowing with ominous power. Together with him are two other people dressed in military coats similar to Jaune's but with dark brown color as opposed to his white. Both of them are female and one of them has long blonde hair and blue eyes while the other has medium length dark hair.

"It has finally begun. Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose, these two existences that are special to Remnant has finally met. In various worlds, as villain or as hero, they fought together or against each other. They are closest friends or each other's most bitter enemies. And thus, the moment Jaune became the Golden Spear, it is inevitable that Ruby Rose will take an equal and opposite position."

Karl narrated as he spread his hands wide before the guillotine. His two companions, already used to his theatrical, didn't even bat an eyelid.

While Karl is currently facing the guillotine he had seen all those years ago, his eyes though is seeing something else. His eyes are watching a certain closed room in the Vale Police Station. There's no need to watch that proceeding any further though. He already knew how it will end. He had watched over the numerous Remnants and what is happening in that Police Station is an inevitability. This though, is much more important.

"So this is to be her Relic?"

"Even without its wielder I can feel that this thing is dangerous.

The two girls spoke as they look over the guillotine. Karl smirked. Dangerous would be an understatement. Longinus Lanze was the greatest, most dangerous Relic in existence. But this guillotine, while it doesn't look as majestic and seems like it's rusty, it is the only Relic that could stand up to Longinus Lanze in terms of quality. Though that is less due to the guillotine itself but because of what it enshrined.

"Indeed, this is to be her Relic."

He then turned to the two girls and began explaining with a lot of passion.

"As you know, a Relic, an Ahnenerbe is a vessel of souls. Only items with history infused with desire can become an Ahnenerbe and they grow more powerful by consuming souls. But, just like Lonignus Lanze Testament, this guillotine is unique. Unlike other Ahnenerbe that housed thousands of normal soul, this guillotine house only a single soul. But it is a soul unlike any others. Just like Longinus Lanze, this Relic is a true Divine Instrument, unlike those four Relics of Remnants."

It's a jab to the Brother Gods of Remnant, the two knew it, but neither can deny Karl's words. After, they can feel the unique presence exuded by the guillotine even in its inactive state before being activated as an Ahnenerbe. What they are feeling is but a fraction of the presence of the soul inside that guillotine… and it already has surpassed the magical presence of the Relics of Remnant.

"The synchronization has begun. The pieces are in place. Now then…"

Karl closed his eyes. When he opened it again, he is standing on a beach with the scenery of a setting sun beyond the horizon. There is a person standing in front of him, a girl in white with long wavy blonde hair. Margueritte Breuil. Seeing her always brought a smile to Karl's face. No, in here, he did not manifest as Karl Kraft. In this Twilight Beach that only he and eventually the chosen wielder of the guillotine can enter, he is Suigin, the God of Eternal Recurrence.

Margueritte had not changed at all since the day he last met her. Although, if there is any notable change he could point out, it is the circular mark on her neck that looks like a healing wound that came from a bladed weapon, the proof that she had died as a human, as it is the wound that shows where the guillotine had beheaded her. It is also proof that she had transcended death itself and perhaps…

"My goddess, I have prepared the ultimate necklace for you. Then, let us begin our Grand Guinol."

Suigin declared. He spreads his arms and darkness began to pour out of him, enveloping them both.

* * *

Jaune would've liked to stay and finally properly meet with Karl's other chosen. But it is a long day and while he had been let out easily because his involvement was minimal and he simply acted in defense of others from a criminal, he simply need to make a few statements before being let out.

The hooded girl though was told to stay behind and meet with Ozpin, the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. There's no need for him to eavesdrop to know what Ozpin wanted. Silver Eyes. When he first made an eye contact with the girl, he saw that she has Silver Eyes. That means she's one of the Silver-Eyed Warrior bloodline.

Trivial. Such a thing is trivial compared to the purpose Karl had set for her. Ozpin likely thought that he had hit the jackpot in finding another Silver-Eyed warrior and is offering her a place in Beacon at the moment. That is good. It serves their purpose well.

Jaune arrived in front of a townhouse in Vale. He opened the front gate and use a spare key given to him to enter the front door. There's no need for him to announce his presence as whoever is still awake would've felt his presence by now. Although everyone should be in bed by now. Isaac and Riza does have a normal person's sleeping schedule while Kei…

Forget it. Not everyone is asleep. Just as he approached the kitchen, he saw light coming out of the door and a familiar fiery presence inside. He entered to see Kei in a blue nightgown waiting for him. Jaune lightly smiled when he sees her.

"Kei."

"Hey Jaune."

Kei greeted Jaune. While sleeping late is not actually foreign to them, Jaune was a bit surprised to find Kei still up. It is past midnight and while staying up late is not unusual for them, they are currently in Vale and have nothing important to take care off. Coupled with the fact that they're going to Beacon tomorrow, sleeping early is a better idea.

"You've been waiting for me."

It's not a question but a statement, which Kei confirms with a single nod. Jaune didn't say anything but he noticed that Kei does have something for him. A plate of sandwich. It is a simple egg sandwich and though he's not hungry, he appreciated the gesture. Jaune mumbled a 'thank you' to Kei and started eating. She probably also want to hear why he's back so late.

"…I found her, Karl's other chosen."

He simply said. Kei's eyes went wide and she immediately understood what Jaune meant. They have found the vessel of the Goddess. That would explain why Jaune is late. It is something he cannot ignore after all.

"Tell me everything."

So Jaune did. He began telling her about his trip to Dust Till Dawn where he ended up encountering the other chosen, a young girl in red hooded cape wielding a rifle/scythe, fighting against criminals trying to steal some dust. He ended up intrigued and decided to see what's going on. Of course, he didn't immediately slaughter the criminals like he did with whatever bandit they came across. Not because he doesn't want to or he's afraid of the authority. It is simply because it's not his fight. That and according to him, this is the opening Act that would introduce the other chosen into Karl's story.

After fulfilling his civic duty, Jaune left the police station without waiting for the other chosen. Kei wanted to ask why but Jaune already answered the question she had yet to voice.

"We will have plenty of opportunities to speak to her. Ozpin will be inviting her to Beacon, there's no doubt about it. She's a Silver-Eyed Warrior. The Wizard won't be passing up such an opportunity since he had lost the last one."

"That is true. Then, what is our next course of action?"

"It's simple. We wait. The first Act is just the opening."

Jaune then stood up and put one hand on his chest while extending the other like he is serenading. Kei smirked. It is one of those moments again.

"Remnant is filled with injustice. A world overrun with evil. On one side we have the Grimm, puny avatar of destruction made by a half-assed god now led by The Witch with only a single intention; destroy humanity. If Karl had no purpose for them, I would have destroyed them completely. And on the other side we have the Kingdoms and Huntsmen under the thumb of The Wizard who claim to fight against evil but not once realizing that they had forgotten to fight against the evil in themselves. And in the midst of all that is the people, the weak and powerless. The pure and heroic. While the Council and The Wizard play inside the safety of their walls and immortality, the heroes who they send to protect them die. They would even let the powerless they should be protecting die, all for the sake of their own goals. I have no love for the Grimm and the Witch but they also do not deserve my love either."

Jaune then laughed as if he finds everything funny. In truth he does.

"Therefore I will clean this world of gray hue and dye it in its proper color. So that heroes doesn't need to die meaninglessly for the cause of an evil who think of themselves as good. No more people like our brother and sister needs to die and suffer. No more children needs to be left behind. Yes, only evil needs to suffer! And my 'Golden' shall make sure of it."

Yes, for a peaceful world where he and Jaune don't need to lose their loved ones, for a world where Isaac can know his parents, and for a world where evil will get what they deserve, they will fight, and she will fight alongside him. To take back what they lost and put the world, the universe, in its proper order.

"And I will be with you every step of the way, Jaune."

This is his truth, their truth. And the Golden Transmutation will be the last evil ever committed in this world. All for the sake of peace under the Golden Spear of Justice.

* * *

-Beacon, the next day-

Jaune smiled as he look out the window of the Bullhead that he is occupying with Kei which will be taking them to Beacon. He has no love for The Wizard occupying the Tower but he can appreciate the architecture as well as the sentiment. That sentiment is that he will be walking in the steps of his sister, Beatrice, just like how Kei is walking in the steps of her brother, Kai.

While Beatrice and Kai did not meet until the Initiation unlike Kei and himself who had known each other even before they came to Beacon, the prospect of entering Beacon and being part of a team together with Kei does appeal to him, as if he is relieving the glory days of his sister and her team. The path he and Kei will take might be different from Beatrice and Kai but at this moment, he wanted to savor the youthful days that his sister did… maybe not to Beatrice's level but it should be fun.

Beside him, Kei is sleeping peacefully with her head on his shoulder. Unlike him whose body is an Apostle with the power of an Ahnenerbe, Kei is a human. Granted she possess the power of Magic granted to him by Karl but she is mostly just a human. If only they have more Relic they can use to give her an Ahenenerbe too. But because the Relic users outside of the other chosen will be his enemy that must be slain out of necessity, it is better if she doesn't have one.

Karl's magic at least gave her a body closer to an Apostle, making her superior to any Huntsman and power greater than any Maiden but still, fighting another Apostle with Ahnenerbe will be dangerous. Unlike the others, she will be going to battle directly beside him, the most dangerous place there is once the second Act started.

"Then I'll simply have to protect her."

Jaune told himself. Yes, if he doesn't want to lose any else, then he just has to protect her. And that means destroy anything that wishes her harm. That's all there is to it. Nothing different from what he sets out to do.

Jaune look out the window again. The Bullhead is close to Beacan and they're about to land, Jaune woke Kei up by poking her on the cheek.

"Kei, wake up. We're here. I know you're still sleepy but we have arrived."

Kei slowly opened her eyes. Still feeling a bit sleepy, Kei rubbed her eyes and look out the window. The sun bathing her face with its warmth helped her to wake up and when she did, she saw that Jaune was right; they're about to land. Once the Bullhead landed, Jaune and Kei exited the craft and look up at Beacon tower.

"So we're here at last, in The Wizard's territory."

"Yes. But let's not think about that. The Wizard has no power over us. Any move he made will only advance our goal no matter what. Such is Karl's work. We have time, Kei. So let's just enjoy this moment."

The dark haired girl nodded. Jaune is right. There is nothing to worry about. It's simply that she sometimes forgot that she's currently on a board playing the Game of Gods, not a game of man. The scale is simply different and the perception used is beyond mortal comprehension. Anything and everything will go according to Karl Kraft's will, after all, the God of Eternal Recurrence knows everything, and they will also play their part, until the promised time.

As Jaune and Kei walk together with the other students towards Beacon, albeit a bit slower as they're no in a hurry, they heard an explosion not far ahead. Kei wondered what it is… but Jaune smiled and increase his pace. Kei followed from behind.

Eventually, they arrived at the site of the explosion they heard not long ago and they saw a crater there. What caught Jaune's attention though is not the crater but the person lying inside the crater. He moved closer and put on a smile.

"Hello there, little red."

Jaune greeted. The girl lying in the crater turn to his direction, her eyes widening when she recognized his face.

"…you're the guy from last night!"

Jaune offered a hand to the girl with red cape. Finally, Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose officially met. He doesn't need to see it but Jaune knew that right now, Karl is smiling his usual snake-like smile.

* * *

**So here we have Jaune and Kei's arrival in Beacon. So, here's the thing. For Shinza fans, I have to modify Kei a bit because not only is her upbringing a bit different but also she is part of Jaune's LDO, not Lord Heydrich's, so her attitude towards Jaune is different from canon Kei who fears Heydrich. For this Kei, I actually combined her with Eleonore von Wittenburg for this. She is the Eleonore of Jaune's LDO but she's still mostly Kei. And this will be somewhat of a harem with Kei being the first girl. Now, I might say harem but I should probably get this out first. Jaune's relation with Ruby. It will not be conventional. Whether they fell in love or not, their fate is tied to each other. Whether they end up loving each other or killing each other are equally possible... or both as Shinza fans will probably know what it's like. You know, Mibu Soujiro and Kujo Shiori. Those two are insane. Anyway, this will be a note for the Shinza fans who knew how Golden Transmutation work. Unfortunately, it will not work the same way as in Dies Irae and that's why I say there are 8 Ahnenerbe out there prepared by Karl to challenge both Jaune and Ruby. Out of those 8 Ahnenerbe, 6 are native to Remnant, 1 is a familiar Dies Irae Ahnenerbe, and the last one is undecided yet. The Swastika will also work differently although Isaac/Ein Zonenkind still holds similar role. The Golden Transmutation have been modified to accomodate the RWBY world setting and Jaune's morality. **

**And this is probably something RWBY fans will note. Jaune is far different from base Jaune. Well yeah, he is the substitute for Shinza's beloved Golden Beast and his current personality is a mixture of what I think Jaune would be if he is fused with Lord Heydrich while still retaining Jaune's moral compass. He's harsh on his enemies but kind to his comrades. Of course, this means I have to make a whole new Law for him but well, that's it. Besides Jaune and Ruby's future development to have Divine mentality, other characters remain the same, mostly.**

**Hakuryukou79: Well, he won't be getting the same one and because he is different from Lord Heydrich, the people that follows him will also be different. That and the different history will also show. Although, I already have the substitute for Eleonore here. Kei, I think, would fit. As for the appearance of Marguerite Bois du Justice, it will be soon. But of course, it needs a different catalyst than in Dies Irae. Ruby is not Ren after all. **

**Lucasmarduk: Yes, Isaac will be an integral part of Jaune's life, which will later be explained. I picked Isaac and not Rea for a reason after all. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Shining Beacon**

"…you're the guy from last night!"

Ruby Rose exclaimed when she saw who greeted her. A young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a white military uniform of some kind. It is an appearance she recognized. After all, she just saw him yesterday but didn't get the chance to talk to him.

"My name is Jaune Arc. And that is Kei Sakurai."

The now named Jaune introduced himself and then pointed at the dark-haired girl behind him. She looks a bit unfriendly so Ruby only shyly waved at her. Kei ignored her though, which made Jaune sighs.

"Don't worry about her. She's not exactly the most sociable person around."

Jaune said. Behind him, Kei glared at the blonde with such intensity that Ruby swore she could see literal fire in her eyes. Jaune either doesn't notice or doesn't care… or probably he had received that glare often enough that it doesn't bother him anymore because that's how it feels like for Ruby.

Getting up by herself from the crater she made after sneezing at a dust waved in front of her nose by some crabby girl, Ruby look up thankfully at Jaune as she introduced herself.

"I'm Ruby Rose."

"Ruby Rose. What a pretty name. It fits for a beautiful flower like you. Yes, a beautiful rose dancing on the battlefield. The visage of a Goddess."

Jaune spoke with a calm voice and gentle smile as he brushed of some dirt from Ruby's hair and shoulder with his hand briefly brushing her cheek, or at least that is how he perceived it. To Ruby and Kei, his voice had changed from friendly to seductive at a moment's notice. Kei recognized his voice as the one he used when he acts as her commander or when he is contemplating so the effect is not as big on her, but it still made her blush with how he could naturally speak such compliments in that tone.

Ruby though had to feel the full force of Commander Arc's compliment and her face turned completely red like her cloak, especially as Jaune is looking at her straight in the eyes when he said those things to her. She had never been complimented like that by anyone. She had only ever heard her sister, Yang, being complimented like that by boys back at Signal. But the way Jaune said it made the compliment felt very sincere and that he is only stating facts.

Well, he is, just not in how Ruby thought.

When Jaune saw Ruby, he could tell that she is a pure soul that is rare to be found on the hellhole called Remnant. He can see why Karl wanted him to work with her. This girl is worthy to be the vessel of Karl's woman. Worthy to be someone to stand beside and opposite of him. A Goddess for a God, a Demi-Goddess for a Demi-God. A thorny rose on the battlefield just as he is the golden lance of judgement. A Hero and a Heroine. That makes for a beautiful sight which fits his and Karl's aesthetics. Thus Jaune Arc smiled as he spoke again.

"Truly a beautiful sight to behold. Ahh, miss Rose, I hope we can be on the same team. I wish to get to know you better. After all, I am sure we'll be seeing each other quite often in the next four years."

Jaune said to Ruby who is completely red right now. Of course, now that he had found Karl's other chosen, there is nothing Ozpin can do to keep them apart. Their destiny is intertwined with each other after all and initiation is a mere formality. The contents of Act 1 had been decided from the very beginning.

"Ahem… Jaune, how long are we going to stand around here? The Headmaster's opening speech will be starting soon."

Kei suddenly spoke up with a fake cough. Jaune turn back to his ever-present companion who reminded him of the opening speech, which he of course remembered but didn't care enough to actually want to arrive on time. After all, the meeting with Ruby is a much more momentous occasion compared to The Wizard's drivel. Words spoken by ignorant people are not informative if not downright amusing.

But playing the role of a huntsman-in-training is his part in Act 1. Karl had said it. This Act will see whether his Hegemony will rise or crumble. Whether the part of him that remains human will prevail or will he become something more? That is the statement he made in the exposition for the sake of the audience. Karl does love his theatricals after all. The answer though is obvious. Therefore, he will follow Karl's script. Because it is not just for his sake but for the sake of the protagonist in this story, the beautiful yet thorny Rose.

"I suppose we should head to the auditorium then. Shall we miss Rose?"

Ruby weakly nodded as she walked together with Jaune. Normally, she would've run away with her semblance due to the embarrassment of hearing Jaune's compliments. But for some reason, she didn't. His words, while it embarrassed her, also drew her in.

From behind them, Kei watches the two's interaction and frowned. Ruby Rose is Karl's other chosen. The girl who is destined to wield the power of a Goddess. Her fate and Jaune's are tied together. As she watch them walk together, Kei's fist tightens. She had known that this day would come. But simply knowing it and seeing it are two different things.

As the three walked towards the Beacon auditorium, Karl Kraft smiled as the scene is reflected on his eyes even if he's leagues away, and even dimensions away from Beacon. The Actors are gathering on the stage and soon, the most important actor will enter the stage.

* * *

As the three arrived in the auditorium, they saw that the place is filled to the brim with people. All of them potential students, but not all of them will be here by the time initiation ends. Jaune look over the people gathered. This is the place where he will pick the last two members of the Obsidian Round Table. Karl had said that this generation over any other is special in Remnant. Finding the last two that can fill the vacant seats should be easy.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"

A girl with long and wild blonde hair waved at Ruby. The cloaked girl looked back at Jaune who nodded.

"Get going. I'll see you later. I also have some people I need to look for."

Ruby smiled and nodded. The cloaked girl then skipped towards the blonde girl. Now that it's back to just the two of them, Jaune gestured at Kei to follow him. He did not lie when he told Ruby he has someone to find. It didn't take him long to find who he's looking for. After all, it's easy to spot the two people he's looking for when one of them is loud and eye-catching.

He saw a girl with medium length orange hair bothering a green-clad effeminate boy with dark hair. The girl is talking about a mile a minute while moving all around while the boy listen to her calmly as he walked in slow steps. Jaune smiled when he saw the scene. He approached the pair with Kei in tow and stopped in front of the boy. The two of them stood face to face with each other for several seconds until Jaune offered a handshake to the boy.

"It is good to see you again, Ren."

"You too, Jaune."

The boy named Ren took Jaune's hand and shook it. The two of them smiled. It has been a while since they last met with both of them being busy doing their own things in different continents. The last time they met face to face was in Vacuo before they went their separate ways around eight months ago. They met in Mistral about a month after Jaune met Kei which was three months after he found the Longinus Lanze. They then travelled Anima together for several months with Karl as Jaune began setting up the Obsidian Round Table.

Third seat of the Obsidian Round Table, Lie Ren. As the seat was ordered based on the order in which they joined, that made Ren the third actual member of the group with Jaune being counted as first seat himself and Kei being taking the place of the second seat.

"Heya Jaune-Jaune!"

The orange haired girl cheerfully greeted Jaune from behind Lie Ren with a wave and a big smile. Jaune smiled and waved back to the girl while Kei shook her head and looked at the orange and pink bundle of energy with disapproval.

"Nora, I know Jaune said that it's fine to be informal with him but can you at least try to call him by his proper name?"

Kei spoke in a scolding tone that sounded tired, probably as she had repeated that exact same line over and over again without any effect but she still won't stop saying it anyway. The girl now identified as Nora blew a raspberry at Kei who sighs, which to Jaune and Ren is a big improvement compared to how Kei and Nora act around each other before.

Nora Valkyrie, fourth seat of the Obsidian Round Table who joined the group the very next day after Ren did. Unlike Ren who joined because he believes in Jaune's ideal, Kei and Jaune knew perfectly well that she joined because Ren did and that's fine.

"Jaune-Jaune said it's fine so lay it off miss grumpy pants!"

Nora replied to Kei's scolding. The dark haired girl growled at the orange haired girl. The boys though ignored the two as it's already like a usual antics for the two girls who are pretty much polar opposite of each other. As long as they don't start a fight, then all is fine. With the girls now focusing on each other, that left the boys to their own talk, which is much more civilized and friendly.

"So, it's almost time."

Ren began. Jaune nodded.

"Yes. While we still have two more seats to be filled, all eight Relics that will make up the Golden Transmutation are ready. And now with the other chosen decided, it is only a matter of time until Dies Irae began."

"I see. So I take it all of us are here?"

Ren inquired, earning another nod of affirmation from Jaune.

"Yes. Right now, all members of the Obsidian Round Table are present here in Vale, except Anna who will be joining us later. Our only concern right now is to fill the last two remaining seats."

They waited for a few minutes there until the auditorium's light switched off and someone walk onto the podium. The person has gray hair and is wearing a green suit. He wore a spectacle and he carry with him a mug that everyone suspect is coffee. This is Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy. Or to the Obsidian Round Table, the Wizard.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As Ozpin leaves the stage and his deputy, Glynda Goodwitch, the Huntress Jaune saw the other night, stepped up and announced to them.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

As instructed by Glynda Goodwitch, all the potential students began to file out and head towards the Ballroom. Jaune and his group followed them at a more leisurely pace with Nora still messing around with Kei that both boys tune out. It's a usual thing for them.

"An interesting speech if nothing else."

"The first step. He's not wrong. All it takes to make a change is to take the first step towards it. But… people have a habit of not noticing that the first step they take is the same step someone has taken before. Therefore, the place they end up in is the same. I wonder, do you realize that, Wizard? After all, the world is only a neverending cycle of repetitive events played by different people. It is the nature of Eternal Recurrence."

Ren nodded in agreement. And that is why he is here with Jaune; to take the first step to break that cycle. And to do that, they will have to take a path nobody else travelled before. And they will succeed, no matter the cost, for the sake of their wishes.

* * *

Sleep is, for Jaune, entirely optional. The moment he had bonded with Longinus Lanze and became an Apostle, physical limitations had slowly become inconsequential to him. At this point, sleep is more of an enjoyment rather than a need. As long as the light of his soul burns strong, nothing can even make him pause.

Usually, he would sleep just because everyone else sleep. Unless there's an actual need for him to forego sleep, he will still get some shuteye. But tonight, he does have something to do.

Earlier, he had snuck out from the group of students and waited for the clock to strike midnight on top of Beacon tower. On top as in on the roof of Beacon tower. It is actually where he would prefer to spend his time at night compared to the ballroom. Is he worried that he would get punished if he's found? No. Why should he? If he was found, then the Beacon staff is doing a good job. If they couldn't identify him being missing, then that's simply the extent of Beacon staff's quality. Punishment is the last thing to ever concern him.

Sitting on top of Beacon tower while watching the stars above the city is relaxing. It gave him a good view of what his sister wanted to protect. And to him, it is beautiful. If only there's no weeds growing in this garden then it would've been perfect.

"Enjoying your first day in Beacon, Jaune?"

A voice addressed him. Jaune smiled. There's no need for him to look to see who had appeared behind him. He had been expecting his arrival after all.

"It hasn't been twenty four hours yet, Karl. The real first day starts tomorrow."

Replied Jaune to Karl Kraft. The blonde then looked down towards the academy ground. As if responding to Karl's arrival, the familiar presence of magic appeared from inside the academy, or to be more specific, from the ballroom. After a moment, Jaune saw someone walk out from the academy and towards the Emerald Forest.

"Divine essence. A palatable substitute to blood."

"Indeed. We should thank the Brothers for giving us such fine sacrificial lambs."

Jaune and Karl grinned. Then the blonde got up from his position as he watched the subject of their interest entering the forest. With a single leap from atop the Beacon tower, Jaune followed the vessel of the Goddess together with Karl.

* * *

**Right, so I'm stil trying to find a balance in the mix between Jauney Boy and Lord Heydrich. Also, I will be switching the main perspective to mostly Ruby soon because using Jaune who is in the role of Lord Heydrich will have some troublesome impact to the narrative because he knows everything. I will be focusing on Jaune up until Ruby can form her Yetzirah, which is definitely during Initiation which Jaune will hijack a bit. Though first, he'll be assisting her with the Assiah stage, which will be the next chapter. **

**Hakuryukou79: Well, for one thing, there won't be 13 members of LDO but 11, counting Ruby. This number and formation is actually important for the formation of this story's Golden Transmutation and currently, 2 seats remains empty. I haven't decided on them yet. Originally, Trifa and Machina was supposed to be part of Jaune's LDO. But I changed them to Ren and Nora to not only involve RWBY characters more but because the ideal behind the LDO is different, some of the original members simply doesn't fit Jaune's version of LDO. Hence why Trifa and Machina are replaced by Ren and Nora. His Atziluth will also be different because his craving is different but similar enough that he will still have traits of Lord Heydrich's Atziluth. As for the other Relic Users, I have shown 2 of them and I don't mean Jaune and Ruby. Their Relic will also be familiar items. **

**Lucasmarduk: So far, Ozpin is ignorant about the existence of the Obsidian Round Table. But he won't be for long. As for how strong Jaune is without Longinus Lanze compared to Raven and Cinder? Well... The Maidens basically possess Ozma's power divided into 4. His LDO, who does not possess any Relics and are not Apostles, are as strong as Ozma at his best, some stronger and some weaker based on specialty. And among them, Jaune still reigns as the strongest. That is roughly how strong he is without me explicitly saying. Then again, he is mixed with Lord Heydrich. Comparing him with a mere Maiden is an insult. **


End file.
